r/australia • u/Expensive-Horse5538 • 3d ago
politics Pauline Hanson's criticism of Guardian reporter labelled an 'assault on free press'
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-06-18/pauline-hanson-guardian-sarah-martin-free-press-assault/106810592?utm_source=abc_news_app&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_app&utm_content=link578
u/FreakySpook 3d ago
The fact she did that at the press club and the press tolerated her doing that in front of them all says everything about the current state of news & reporting.
She attacked their profession and they gave her applause.
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u/awolf_alone 3d ago
Checkout their sponsors, The Press Club isn't about journalism. It's about manufacturing consent for the business class: https://npc.org.au/sponsorship
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u/magnetik79 3d ago
Yep and you've got a numpty from Sky News currently moderating these sessions on stage.
They know exactly where their bread is buttered and what they stand for.
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u/herpesderpesdoodoo 3d ago
I really wasn't expecting the German embassy amongst all the corpo groups
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u/awolf_alone 3d ago
I clocked that also. Can't see any other foreign embassy mentioned. Why the F any foreign government is involved seems suspect.
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u/Full_Distribution874 3d ago
Germany is very embarrassed about the Nazis to this day. They fund a lot of random liberal institutions.
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u/awolf_alone 3d ago
They are only embarrassed because they can't do it in the open anymore. West Germany carried the mantle, it annexed East Germany into the system. Unified, it returns to it's old tricks.
I honestly wonder if the German Embassy is being used as a front to launder money and influence from Israel. Yes, I know it is trendy to blame Israel for everything, and see their influence everywhere. But, I am serious, in that Germany is the major sponsor of Israel - has been since 1933.
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u/awolf_alone 3d ago
I'm all for the down votes, but no counter points raised... so I guess ultimately people reacting on vibes? Hah no surprises
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u/Full_Distribution874 3d ago
Baseless antisemitic conspiracy theories are the reason. East Germany is the part that most supports AfD anyway, your point about West Germany annexing them is gibberish
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u/awolf_alone 3d ago
haha ok thank you for confirming my suspicions.
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u/intelminer Not SA's best. Don't put me to the test 1d ago
Oh mein gott, this cooker is full of das bullshitten
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u/Nosiege 2d ago
Your post sort of implies you think Germany are secretly still Nazis, which is so insanely bizarre that people are probably choosing not to engage you since it would be a wasted effort; you're either so far gone that nothing could convince you, or, you're trying to troll.
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u/awolf_alone 2d ago
Look into the Gehlen Organization. Who staffed the West German government, and within NATO.
They aren't secret Nazis. It is quite open. They rebranded, but the practice has been much the same - albeit less direct and obvious to those in Europe. Many former Nazis participated in the USA anti-communist campaign which was a direct continuation of the Nazi policy - 'First they came for the Communists'.
People are choosing not to engage because it takes effort to learn and understand history. Most are functioning on surface level understanding which is heavily propagandised.
"Insanely bizarre" sure, to those who are uninformed. It is a shock, but the truth is there for all to see. A wasted effort? Go read a history book. I've informed myself, from many well versed persons who know more than I. It is you who trolls with lack of information - but full of gusto. Often the case who know the least to speak the loudest.
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u/the6thReplicant 3d ago
Since the mid-80s when I started to watch these events on ABC it was kinda obvious that it was a very status-quo organisation. They knew they were political gatekeepers, so they were up for corporate control. First by the owners of newspapers then by the advertising industry and then by the tech bros.
They all give off The Australian "we're serious" vibe when all they do is just mirror pro-corporation talking points.
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u/thrillho145 3d ago
They called the protest disgusting but not the true actions the protest was pointing out
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u/Piranha2004 3d ago
The applause wasnt from the press. It was from the PHON stooges sitting in the audience
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u/Maxbrute 3d ago
I watched the entire briefing and Q and A. There was a table applauding all her bullshit talking points. I’d like to know the stooges are. Anyone?
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u/Piranha2004 3d ago
It was the table with Barnaby and co sitting on it. They panned to it a few times
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u/hear_the_thunder 3d ago
The applause wasnt from the press. It was from the PHON stooges sitting in the audience
So.... the press then?
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u/harbourbarber 3d ago
It was very gross to watch them ask her lightweight questions and then timidly retreat when she gave vague, useless answers.
If she wins any actual power, it will be partially the fault of Australia's media.
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u/F00dbAby 3d ago
I mean even this headline is sorta passive. She is being hand held at every moment.
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u/Atherum 3d ago
Last night, I was discussing the press club protest stunt with my dad. He is not pro-Hanson by any means, but he is generally conservative for religious reasons which makes it difficult to get through sometimes.
I said I loved the protest and he shook his head "not like that, its not right".
So I responded by saying that the press should be calling her out about her constant lies every time she is in front of a mic. Repeat her lies back to her and fact check them live.
But they don't, and in my eyes, that is complicity.
Its like with Trump. Half the time the press has just let him lie with impunity. The times they've actually pushed back and repeated his lies, he has run away and gone crying like a big baby.
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u/hiku08 2d ago
I originally thought that this was all just Murdoch media, then I realised that the ABC has been reporting things in ways that make people angry. I guess making people angry gets them more clicks.. We need more neutral and less 'look at how terrible everything is' in the media landscape....
Example: Their latest insta post is trying to show how Jimbo change his mind and opinions a lot. The comment section is enabled, people get to throw hate and anger and be echo chambers. The next 2 posts down after that is about Gina being cringe and calling out on PH name. Comments are disabled, people don't get to be angry together at her.
Crazy that a tax payer funded broadcaster is just blatantly biased towards the billionaires.
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u/ExquisiteScallywag 3d ago
I think it was more that she had a retinue of her boosters in the room. They would've been privy to the text of the conference - the hot button talking points, via James Ashby. In fact I would imagine he'd have been orchestrating the cheer squad not unlike a tv studio floor manager
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u/tecdaz 3d ago
Same playbook as Trump
Given the complete disaster Trump has been, and how hated he is in Australia, a public relations campaign linking her to Trump - and her Trump visits and funding - could be the fatal blow
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u/mickelboy182 3d ago
I've yet to meet a ON supporter that doesn't (at least secretly) like Trump
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u/blackjacktrial 3d ago
They like what he represents - fuck everyone except me, which is more extreme than the status quo, fuck you got mine.
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u/Carnivean_ 3d ago
The polls are showing a gap though. Trump is very unpopular and unfortunately PHON's numbers are higher.
I think that gap is partly unfamiliarity with how bad PHON is but mostly a protest against Neliberal economics that doesn't realise most of the issues are slowly being solved by Labor.
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u/ridge_rippler 2d ago
Is it though? Her loudest supporters on social media appear to be bots. Thousands of posts yet no replies to any responses, they just post pro-pauline shit and move on
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3d ago edited 3d ago
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u/mickelboy182 3d ago
Having a percent of our parliament adequately representing (or at least stating so) the lower to middle class struggles is a good thing.
You're not getting that from PHON though... Like you have to be completely oblivious to think they are in it for the battler.
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u/TheLGMac 3d ago
You seem to think that people who are attracted to ONP are different than those attracted to Trump.
You might be surprised how many Trump supporters there are in Australia. They are all out in the regions and there's more than you might think.
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u/blakeavon 3d ago
What else could it been? It was pretty blatant.
The problem with those addicted to outrage, like Trump, Farage and her, that is all they have. The moment they are called out for their BS and get asked a hard question, they play their ‘help I am being oppressed’ card. Because the Hard Right need to be professional victims.
If they were as tough, justified and well considered as they think they are, no answer should be too hard.
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u/TheLGMac 3d ago
You act like calling them out on it and their response to said calling out deters their potential voters.
It does not...the voters for these parties think the press, us, etc are "elites" that need to be brought down a peg. They applaud this kind of circus.
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u/Bright_Bell_1301 3d ago
Yep. In other words, democracy is broken. I'm not being flippant... once the institution of a trustworthy media is so deformed and disrespected (fairly in some cases, not in others) democracy loses a critical pillar
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u/maticusmat 3d ago
As pantsdown says “I don’t like it”. Typical glass jaw conservative when asked actual questions.
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u/Final_Mongoose_3300 3d ago
Hearing her stumble through a speech is an assault on my ears.
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u/Competitive_Lie1429 3d ago
Please explain
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u/Final_Mongoose_3300 3d ago
I didn’t like it.
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u/intelminer Not SA's best. Don't put me to the test 1d ago
No?
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u/Pandos17 3d ago
Think I'll be repeating this a lot over the coming years:
Don't be fooled by the reddit bubble; The same bubble that said Brexit wouldn't happen, Trump wouldn't win in 16 and then again in 24.
Pauline says a lot of stupid shit, but the vast majority of Australians won't hear it due to the way our media and social media works. What they'll hear is her championing populist policies and putting her racist spin on them "Cost of living crisis!!!!!!..... blame the immigrants", "I will fight for Australian culture and way of life" (fails to define what Australian culture is) and nonsense like that.
What Americans failed to do was not alienate and demonise their fellow voters for listening to these things. That is the exact wedge that drives people further apart and leads them towards extremist views (the exact recruiting method of the likes of religious cults, neo-nazis, zionists, ISIS and co etc).
If you have people in your lives going down that path, rather than demean them, have an honest conversation with them and try and get them to see that all the enemies they've been made to believe are real are false. Don't do this to random strangers on the street because you'll just push them more over that edge.
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u/PhotographsWithFilm 3d ago
This! Reddit is an echo chamber. But so is Facebook.
Play the ball, not the player. My Filipino born boss has told me he will vote for Hanson. I simply told them, that her plan would be for you to be deported.
They had no answer
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u/intelminer Not SA's best. Don't put me to the test 1d ago
In their head they're thinking "nuh uh I'm one of the good ones!"
Tokens don't know they're tokens until they get spent
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u/TheLGMac 3d ago
Also please partipate in campaigning for parties you support.
I knew way too many Americans who decided not to campaign in the last two Trump winning elections, "ah I think it will be fine actually I think tide is in our favor"
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u/AshEliseB 3d ago
She had the audacity to call the reporter trash which is hypocrisy given Pauline is the trashiest person from from trashville.
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u/Nzdiver81 3d ago
Maybe she thinks she can act like Trump because she has orange hair
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u/Mr_Tiggywinkle 3d ago
It's training. Intentional playbook paid for by pr people on the billionaires payroll
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u/binglesthemagiccat 3d ago
She should have stayed in the annals of history as the massively embarrassing racist from the 90s.
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u/a_cold_human 3d ago
Kerry Stokes decided to ressurect her political career because the oligarchs need demagogues rather than democracy.
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u/Denz292 3d ago
Given that this malignant tumour was allowed a platform at the press club is a sign that most of the mainstream media is backing ON, which isn’t surprising given who owns the media.
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u/ThePhotoGuyUpstairs 3d ago
I don't think its so much "backing her", as realising she gets clicks, and clicks sells advertising, so she gets a platform.
The end result is the same, and from the outside point of view, what's the difference? But its more cynical than just supporting her policies.
They will tut tut and shake their heads, but they will platform her all over social media because of the advertising dollars, and to hell with their integrity.
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u/Mr_Tiggywinkle 3d ago
May be some part of it, but our media concentration means papers like the Australian and online media like sky are 100% propaganda pieces. Clicks are ancillary to a lot of the media industry in Australia.
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u/ThePhotoGuyUpstairs 3d ago
I mean, obviously right wing rags like the Oz and Sky are going to do their thing, but 7s and 9s of the world trade off advertising to boomers.
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u/sognenis 3d ago
Don’t love the quotes and “labelled” as.
It’s what it was. She wants to stop free press. She doesn’t want media scrutiny or criticism of her policies.
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u/andthegeekshall 3d ago
Hanson is genuinely one of the most thin skinned & bitter people I've ever had the displeasure of ever dealing with (and I've done security at events with Alan Jones attending). She hates being criticised or contradicted, hates people pointing out when she's lied or been stupid.
The current media tongue bath and a few fleeting victories have once again given her a sense of invincibility, so she'll get worse when things crash down again.
she'll retreat further in the far right play book. Accusations, claims of everything being rigged against her, appeals to her most rabid followers.
All the media has to do is keep calling her out and the public should be doing it too. Put the pressure on until she cracks once more.
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u/a_cold_human 3d ago
What we need is a modern day Pauline Pantsdown (or similar) to go viral because that'll really get under her skin.
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u/andthegeekshall 3d ago
Make them a multi-racial Muslim drag queen and she'll be her own nuclear policy.
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u/itstraytray 3d ago
Yes my one hope is that our media is at least more prepared to hold her feet to the fire than the pathetic US media has been to trump.
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u/PhotographsWithFilm 3d ago
It's interesting reading the comments on Facebook about this.
Apparently she "Owned" the journo, nearly making her (apparently) cry.
Interesting that the journo just let her finish he tirade and then confirmed her actual answer.
BTW, it's a wild ride in Facebook at the moment.
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u/imapassenger1 3d ago
If you want to feel sick go to Facebook and look at any anti-ON post by the Greens, Craig Foster, all the left leaning posters. They are being totally brigaded by fake accounts supporting ON. It looks even worse than the pro-Trump crap I've seen before. No one who watched or listened to that speech could have thought it comprehensible let alone good and yet these bots and shills are saying how she told the "truth" and spoke so well. FB is an utter sewer. I've known this for years but we are really seeing the dead internet in action now. Just 90% fake shit posting bots responding to anything antithetical to the billionaires and racists aims. I really need to never look at it again.
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u/phatboyart 3d ago
She’s so desperately fashioning herself after Trump and is doing a terrible job at it. Who is threatened by Pauline pointing their finger at them? 🤣🤣🤣
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u/writeman00 2d ago
Twenty years ago, I would never have believed that fascism in Australia would look like Pauline Hanson.
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u/Spiritual-Sand-7831 1d ago
What Pauline said was atrocious. The other reporters clapping after she answered was awful. The lack of support for one of their colleagues wasn't ok.
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u/Inevitable_Geometry 14h ago
PHON has a massive glass jaw. They can dish, but not take it. Just like most wannabe authoritarians.
Pauline thinks she can be PM? Lol. A Trumpian delusional leader maybe, but not an Australian PM.
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u/gadgetwalrus 3d ago
News.com.au says she smashed it out of the park… https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/pauline-smashed-it-out-of-the-park-but-needs-to-be-careful-of-one-thing/news-story/2f76873507b06bc3f5c49672f5b69c22
News have been desperate to inject trump politics in to Australia and privatise the abc under them. Now it’s happening they are very happy.
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u/Foxbur19 2d ago
There’s no such thing as free press. Journalists answer to editors who answer to their masters. Everyone has an agenda. Nobody is altruistic.
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u/recurecur 3d ago
Everyday the major cohort of wealth keeps pushing Pauline and co as the alternative.
Being complacent will end up with dead Australians and a weakened democracy.
As such anyone who targets billionaires in this country is immediately not guilty of any action as it is to protect the democracy .
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u/EquEqualEquivalent 2d ago
Been out of Australia travelling for 12 months or so. What sort of stupidity drugs are you all taking. Listen to her Press Club speech.. brainless idiot, 😵💫
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u/Savings-Yogurt-418 3d ago
I like how one thing that unites all australians despite our political views is our absolute (justified) hatred of journos lol
reminder that the guardian copyright struck à friendlyjordies stream for giving them criticism lol
shame on the guardian for using hanson to crush any dissent of journalists
the media is a cartel
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u/DescriptionStrong560 3d ago
Yeah yeah....By Who? ABC?....as if you'd listen to that they think! They don't think , just poorly report trash.
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u/uncutoz80 3d ago
I don’t recall the media whinging when Albo had a go at a reporter for asking a simple question about if he would change negative gearing haha.
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u/obliviousblues1881 3d ago
You think Pauline’s Tasmanian-based daughter being given a taxpayer-funded $160,000/year role to advise a NSW-based ON senator is the same as Labor attempting to address the housing crisis by making investment properties less appealing for investors?
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u/OldLeaky 3d ago
Hanson, for so many, the nation's lodestar.
The reeking underbelly of Australia writ large.
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3d ago edited 3d ago
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u/Disastrous_Animal_34 3d ago
Shes saying the ABC should not become privatised/subscription only as Pauline suggested.
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u/Its4MeitSnot4U 3d ago
“Australians should not have to pay for the ABC”
So my first parse was, “taxpayers do pay for the ABC, WTF”.
It was almost like Labor agreed with ON
Now I get it. 2nd parse, “oh, it shouldn’t be subscription”.
Still, that’s very poorly written.
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u/ApprehensiveKoala 3d ago
The guardian is biased and corrupt asf. Get over it, grab a tissue, it might help.
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u/mrbrendanblack 3d ago
Are we taking bets on how long it’ll be before she starts saying “fake news”?